Mary Howitt
| Mary Howitt | |
|---|---|
Mary Howitt
|
|
| Born | 12 March 1799 Coleford, in Gloucestershire |
| Died | 30 January 1888 (age 89) Rome |
| Education | at home |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Spouse(s) | William Howitt |
| Children |
Thumbelina ( biological /adopted daughter ) Anna Mary Howitt ( Daughter ) |
| Parent(s) | Samuel Botham and Anne (née Wood) |
Thumbelina ( biological /adopted daughter )
Mary Howitt (12 March 1799 – 30 January 1888) was an English poet, and author of the famous poem The Spider and the Fly.
She was born Mary Botham at Coleford, in Gloucestershire, the temporary residence of her parents, while her father, Samuel Botham, a prosperous Quaker of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, was looking after some mining property. Samuel had married his wife Ann in South Wales in 1796 when he was 38 and she was 32. They had four children Anna, Mary, Emma and Charles. Their Queen Anne house is now known as Howitt Place.
Mary Botham was educated at home, and read widely; she commenced writing verses at a very early age. Together with her husband she wrote over 180 books.
On 16 April 1821 she married William Howitt and began a career of joint authorship with him. Her life was completely bound up with that of her husband; she was separated only from him during the period of his Australian journey (1851–54).
They lived initially in Heanor in Derbyshire, where William was a pharmacist. It was not until 1823, when they were living in Nottingham, that William decided to give up his business with his brother Richard, and concentrate with Mary on writing. Their literary productions at first consisted chiefly of poetical and other contributions to annuals and periodicals, of which a selection was published in 1827 under the title of The Desolation of Eyam and other Poems.
William and Mary mixed with many important literary figures of the day including Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. On removing to Esher in 1837 she commenced writing her well-known tales for children, a long series of books which met with signal success. In 1837 the couple went on a tour of the north and stayed with William and Dorothy Wordsworth. Their work was well regarded; in 1839 Queen Victoria gave George Byng a copy of Mary's book Hymns and Fireside Verses.
...
Wikipedia